Material-handling apparatus.



R. ELJER. MATERIAL HANDUNG APPARATUS.

` APPLRCATION FILED AOV. 2l. 19H. 1,285,080.

R;` ELDER. MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPucATloN FILED Nov.2x. A914. l ,285,080 Patented Nov. 19, 1918,v

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H .ELDERV MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS.

. APPucAloN msu 11011.21, 1914. 1 ,285,080. Patented Nov. 19, 1918.

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R. ELDER.

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLlcATloN men 11ov.21.1914.

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Patented Nov. 19,19%.

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GE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR; TO FAIRBANKS, MORSE &

A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

Ipeoication otlLetters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, l1918.

Application iledNovemher 21, 19.14. Serial N o. 373,335.

To aZZ whom it may concern.' Y

Be it known that I, ROBERT ELDER, af citizen of the United States,l residing at La Grange, in the county of Cook and State, of Illinois, ful Improvements in Material-Handling Ap paratus, of which, the following is a specification.

My invention relates. to apparatus for handling or transferring' granular material of any ln'nd andy While my apparatus isprimarily intended and is herein illustrated as an apparatus for delivering coaly and more particularly for the coaling of vessels, etc., my invention is not limited yto such specific use. The object of my invention is to provide a simple, eiicient and reliable apparatus of the character described which in the pres.- ent instance is designed more particularly for use on a fuel lighter for the coaling of vessels, etc. Referring'y to the specific embodiment of my my apparatus is so constructed that the coal is automatically delivered from the lighter to a vessel by means of a delivery conveyer which can be adjusted to any angle desired or required for the delivery of the coal to the vessel varying from an eXtreme upward inclination to an eXtreme downward inclination which latter is required for thecoaling of a tug, for instance.

manner that there is a minimum. of dustoccasioned and substantiallyy no breakage` of the coal in the delivery inasmuchasthe delivery conveyer acts to retard any Vrapid descent of the coal, the delivery beingl` con.-V

stant whatever maybe the angle of the conveyer. It will be apparent that the apparatus will similarly handle other material of a like general character.

While I have shown my apparatus as in-v lighter, ,it will loekv In the drawmgsFigure l is a perspectiveA of ay fuel lighter embodyingv my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section substantially at the middle pointof the lighter; Fig. 3 adjacent the inclosing .y upper portion of theelevator; Fig, 4 a central longitudinal section, of the delivery con-` have invented certain new and uselnvention as herein shown The apparatusthus delivers the coal` automatically and in suchy ak sectional elevation taken` Within and. casing showing.` the veyer and associated parts; Fig. 5 a section on the line 5-5 ofk Fig. 4; Fig. 6 a diagram illustrating the driving connection for the elevator and delivery conveyer; Fig. 7 a side elevation ofy one of the Scrapers of the delivery conveyer; Fig.. 8 a top plan vienr thereof;r and Fig. 9 a section of one of the buckets of the conveyer.

In practice and in the present instance, I have embodied my invention in a fuel lighter and for convenience in description of my invention I will describe it in such connection without intention of limiting myself in all instances, that is unless. expressly required by the claims inasmuch as my apparatus may bea stationary one installed on the land or on a dock.

Speaking in general terms, and referring to the specic embodiment of my invention as herein shown, Within the hull l of the lighter is arranged a. longitudinal series of fuel hoppers 2 below which extends a horizontal conveyer mechanism for conveying the coal to the middle point of the lighter to an4 elevator which in turn delivers the fuel to a delivery conveyer constructed and.y arranged to oscillate in order that its delivery endu may be brought tothe proper point for the.y final delivery of the coal from the lighter- It is. obviousthat one or more conveyers may be used delivering to any desired point, that is wherever the elevating mechanism maybe located.

The horizontal conveyer mechanism is ar ranged to deliver thefuel to the elevator and to thisend the deliver.' is into a transverse open toppedsheet metal channel or trough 38, Fig. 2. The elevator consists of an endless chain having buckets adapted to travel in the channel 3S and toelevate the coal and deliver it to the delivery conveyer herein after described, it being understood that the endless conveyer of the elevator travels in a plane at right angles to the plane of the horizontal conveyer mechanism in the lighter.

Describing more particularly the elevator herein shown and referring to Figs. 2 and 3,Y the same consistsiof a pair of endless link chains 41 which travel' upon a series of sprocketwheels comprising the two pairs of lower sprocket wheels` 42 mounted to rotate within the lighter'y and the two pairs of upprfsprocket wheels 43: and 44, the latter pair being the drivingv sprocket wheels 110l Q inslapen which are driven by the' driving connect-ions hereinafter described. The sprocket Wheels #L3 and sie are secured to shafts i5 and el@ respectively which are journaled in the upper portion of the elevator frame i7 which is an inclosing casing for the elevator conveyor comprising tvvo parallel vertical legs and the top horizontal connecting port-ion. rEhe elevator conveyor also comprises a series of buckets #i8 secured at opposite ends to links of the endless chain, these buckets being preferably of the peculiar shape illustrated in detail in Fig. 9 with the result that upon their lovver horizontal travel in the channel 38 one side of the bucket Will be presented to the fuel for loading purposes While on their upper horizontal travel the other side of the bucket will deliver the coal to a chute for eventually delivering it to the delivery conveyor as hereinafter explained. ly preference the elevator chains are provided With vertical guides 1l-9 Within the two vertical legs of the elevator structure and also vvith guides 50 at the upper corners of such structure, Figs. 3 and 5.

Describing the driving connections for the shaft el@ and its sprocket Wheels eil, the main drive shaft (FigQ) is provided at its end with a bevel pinion 5l which drives a bevel gear 52 secured at the loiver end of a shaft which is provided at its upper end with a bevel pinion 5e meshing with a bevel gear secured to a shaft 56, see Fig. l. rlhis shaft has a pinion 5T nieshing `with a gear 5S secured to the sprocket Wheel shaft 46. The latter part of said connections are shown more or less diagrammatically in llig. 6. il top horizontal reach of the elevator conveyer, as shown in l`igs. 3 and 5, travels through a channel 59. 'That part of this channel in which the buckets enter, which is the left-hand side in Fig. 3, is provided ivith a fiat bottom G0 on which one angle or corner of the buckets slides. The remainder' of the bottom of the channel 59 is formed by a weighing platform 6l forming a continuation of the bottom 60 but overlapped thereby at adjacent ends to form a joint preventing access of the fuel between them. This platform is also provided with vertical side Walls 52 which intermediate their height are angled in order to provide longitudinal shoulders to receive the angle iron 63 forming tracks for the rollers @e of the elevator chains. lt will be understood that the 'weighi g platform is combined vrith suitable Weighing mechanism t not shown) whereby as the fuel passes over said platform it Will be weighed-in a more or less automatic manner.

he fuel after being `conveyed across the weighing platform is delivered into a feed chute 65 which is inclined laterally with its delivery end or mouth in position to deliver the fuel to the delivery conveyer. This conveyer includes a trough 66 of the form shown in Fig` @that is consisting of a concave formation at its inner end and a straight formation at its outer end and being preferably provided at its outer or free end with a pivoted chute 67. rllhis troughis arranged to oscilla-te on an axis located above its concave portion which porf tion is substantially described on an are vtroni that center. The trough is supported by means of the radial arms 68 securedat their lovver ends to one side of the trough, as seen in Fig. 2 and at their upper ends to a bearing or collar 69 which is loosely mounted upon a shaft 70. rhis shaft is journaled in a framework 7l which rises vertically from the central part of the lighter and to which are secured the sprocket Wheels for driving the endless chains of the delivery conveyer as hereinafter described. For the purpose of oscillating the trough and in fact the entire delivery conveyer, l provide a suitable hoisting mechanism including the drum TQ which is here shown as driven by an electric motor T8 or other suitable means and suitable cables and blocks connecting with the outer or free end of the trough. As shown in Figs. l, 2 and et, these connections consist of the cable Til, pulley and the upper and lower pulley blocks 76 and 77, the latter being connected by means of metallic strips 7S to the sides of the trough. lt Will be understood that vvhen the hoisting drum is opera-ted to Wind up the cable 7e the trough and entire delivery conveyer Will be raised to an upWardl T-inclined angle and that when the drum is released the delivery conveyer will move in the opposite directionV by virtue of gravity.

lThe conveyer proper comprises a pair of endless link chains 79 which follow the course of the channel on their lower reach and extend over and under sprocket Wheels on their upper reach. As shown in Fig. e' these chains travel over the sprocket Wheels 8O at the inner end of the trough, over the sprocket Wheels 8l at the outer end thereof, under the sprocket Wheels S2 intermediate the length thereof and over the sprocket Wheels 83 Which rotate with the shaft 70. To opposite links of these chains are secured scraper flights 84 which scrape and convey the coal along the trough and deliver it from the free end thereof and through the chute 67. By preference these scraper liights are of the form shown in detail in Figs. 7 and 8. The endless chains are provided with rollers 85 which bear on tracks 86 formed by the outward flanging of the vertical side WallsV of the trough as seen in detail in Fig. 5.

Also Vthat side of the trough Which is adj al yond such inner wall of the trough and to always deliver the fuel into the trough in whatever position the trough might be.

he driving connections for the sprockets 83 are illustrated somewhat diagrammatically in Fig. 6. provided with a gear 87 which meshes with a gear 88 secured to a shaft 89. These two latter parts are shown in Fig. 6 in dotted lines because they have been displaced from their real position which is below the shaft 56 and would therefore not show in the intended plan view of Fig. 6. To one end of this shaft 89 is secured a sprocket 90 connected by achain 91 to another sprocket 92 which is secured to the shaft 70 to which the two driving sprockets 83 are fastened.

In practice the gate of one or more of the fuel pockets or hoppers is opened and one or both of the horizontal conveyers in the lighter are operated whereupon the fuel is conveyed from the hoppers to the middle portion of the lighter and then delivered to the elevator which is being simultaneously operated. The fuel thus delivered is elevated and is automatically weighed and then delivered to the delivery conveyer. In the meantime this latter conveyer has been oscillated to the desired angle according to the particular requirements of the vessel. In some cases, according to the size of the vessel or for other reasons the delivery trough would be adjusted to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 2 and in other cases it would be elevated to an upwardly-inclined position. In the case of a tug, the delivery conveyer would be lowered to substantially its greatest downwardly inclined position. The delivery conveyer conveys the fuel along the length of the trough and through the delivery chute to the vessel. The rate of feed is constant whatever the angle of inclination of the delivery conveyer and in particular when this conveyer is downwardly-inclined it is impossible for the fuel to feed faster than permitted by the conveyer whose Scrapers in such case act to retard the flow of the fuel.

By the use of my apparatus, I am enabled to load vessels with much heretofore and with less breakage of the coal and without producing much dust. The apparatus which handles or acts upon the fuel is inclosed to a considerable extent which assists in preventing or keeping down the dust which is'one of the serious objections encountered in the loading of vessels. While for convenience in description I have herein Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

As shown, the shaft 56 is` greater speed than referred to the material acted upon as coal or fuel, it will be understood that my apparatus is capable of handling allr granular material or material similar to coal and that I contemplate using my invention wherever applicable.

I claim:

l. In material handling apparatus, an oscillating delivery conveyer comprising a trough having an inner end of concave formation and an outer end of straight formation, said trough being arranged to oscillate on an axis from scribed, and a conveyer mechanism in said trough.

2. In material handling apparatus, an oscillating delivery conveyer comprising a trough having an inner end of concave formation and an outer end of straight formation, said trough having angied side walls to form tracks on its inner' sides and being arranged to oscillate on an axis from which its curvature is described, and conveyer mechanism including endless chains having rollers traveling on said tracks.

3. In material handling apparatus, a delivery conveyer comprising a trough arranged toV oscillate vertically, a conveyer mechanism in said trough, and a feed chute for delivering material into the trough, said trough being cut away along a portion of one side wall to permit its oscillation whereby such trough may be adjusted to deliver material at different elevations.

4. In material handling apparatus, an oscillating delivery conveyer comprising a trough having an inner end of concave formation and an outer end of straight formation, said trough being arranged to oscillate on an aXis from which its curvature is described, conveyer mechanism in said trough, and a feed chute arranged to deliver the material to the trough at the concave portion thereof.

5. In material handling apparatus, an oscillating delivery conveyer comprising a trough having an inner end of concave formation and an outer end of straight formation, said trough being arranged to oscillate on an aXis from which its curvature is described, and a conveyer mechanism in said trough including endless chains and a series of Scrapers attached thereto for feeding.7 the material through the trough.

ROBERT ELDER.

Witnesses:'

W. F. ANDERSON, R. C. BAKER.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

which its curvature is de- 

